This month the United States Department of Food and Agriculture (USDA) released its newest Pesticide Data Program (PDP) report. The results were consistent with previous years and showed the exceptional level of compliance among farmers of fruits and vegetables with the stringent laws and regulations governing pesticide use.

Some results and PDP information from the USDA:

• In 2018, over 99 percent of the samples tested had residues well below the tolerances established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with 47.8 percent having no detectable pesticide residue at all.
• The pesticides and commodities to be included each year in the sampling are selected based on EPA data needs and consider the types and amounts of food consumed by infants and children.
• Because PDP data are mainly used for risk assessments, PDP laboratory methods are geared to detect the lowest possible levels of pesticide residues, even when those levels are well below the tolerances established by EPA.
• The PDP data demonstrate that overall pesticide residues found on foods tested are at levels below the tolerances established by EPA and pose no safety concern.
• Based on the PDP data, consumers can feel confident about eating a diet that is rich in fresh fruits and vegetables.

Despite these consistent and reassuring results, come spring an activist group will predictably release a manipulated version of the USDA PDP report which encourages avoidance of certain healthy and safe produce items.  Puzzling, right?  But, this annual spring release is a misguided effort to influence consumers’ shopping habits by promoting unwarranted safety fears about residues. However, not only is this group’s information lacking in scientific credibility, peer reviewed research has shown their messaging may discourage consumers from purchasing any produce –organic or conventionally grown.

With only one in 10 Americans eating enough fruits and vegetables each day, promoting misinformation that undermines public health efforts to improve daily consumption is concerning.

This is why the Alliance for Food and Farming (AFF) urges consumers to briefly review fact sheets and overviews about the USDA PDP results as well as provides peer reviewed research and science based information about produce safety.  We want consumers to have the information they need to make the right shopping choices for themselves and their families.

Read, learn, choose but eat more organic and conventional fruits and veggies every day for better health and a longer life.